This invention relates to the molding of concrete slabs, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for molding a plurality of concrete panels or slabs simultaneously. Molds of this type are commonly called battery molds.
Premolded concrete slabs have great utility in the construction of many concrete structures. It is possible with premolded concrete slabs to quickly assemble a building on site. There have been many devices in the past for molding a plurality of such slabs simultaneously from a single mold apparatus. Typically these devices employ a plurality of vertical plates spaced from one another so as to define cavities therebetween for molding the concrete slabs. However, such prior art vertical battery molding devices are quite complicated apparatus and difficult to both assemble and operate. The reason for this is that complicated means have been required to provide and hold the proper spacing between the plates. Thus, heavy shoring and complicated fasteners and other mechanisms are provided. Examples of such devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,873,058, 3,804,361 and 3,743,235.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,873,058 issued to Jeffery on Mar. 25, 1975, entitled MOULDING APPARATUS, discloses a plurality of locks employed to lock the molding cavities together during pouring and curing of the concrete and a plurality of rollers to separate the molds when the molds are unlocked and the slabs are being removed. U.S. Pat. No. 3,804,361 issued to Camus on Apr. 16, 1974, entitled PLANT FOR MANUFACTURING REINFORCED CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION PANELS, discloses a device requiring heavy shoring movable on rollers. Still other devices actually suspend the molds above the ground requiring means for suspending the molds above the ground, devices for holding the molds together during pouring and curing of the concrete slabs, and means for separating the molds after the concrete has cured. Such a device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,743,235 issued to Shelley on July 3, 1973, entitled APPARATUS FOR FABRICATING UNITS OF MOLDABLE BUILTING MATERIAL.